Whipping the Doldrums
by Obsidian Sphinx
Summary: Rinku and his five other housemates have been cooped up for three days due to rain, and some simply aren't dealing well with the boredom. Leave it to young Rinku to stir things up a bit! Humor. Yaoi. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Again, people, I've got nothing to do with Yu Yu Hakusho save for my pathetic ambling in the realm of fan fiction.

Author's Note: Ah, my friends, my people, my readers! No, I'm not dead, just very afflicted with CLS. Will tragedies never cease? I submit that they will not. Plus, I've got a new part time job (someone shoot me) and there's always the undeniable irritation of school. But yes, despite these oh-so-cliché trials, I come to you bearing yet another story. I rather enjoyed writing this, and I hope the lot of you obtain a similar pleasure in reading it. Enjoy and Happy Readings!

ooo

It was a rainy, dreary, slightly chilly, semi-depressing, and all around boring day. In fact, it had been a rainy, dreary, slightly chilly, semi-depressing, and all around boring day for the past THREE rainy, dreary, slightly chilly, semi-depressing, and all around boring days. Where as some enjoyed the sanctity that the rather spacious house offered, others were less appreciative.

Rinku sighed in irritation as he gazed out of the window beside his bed. The glass was streaked with tiny streams of cold water that all seemed to endure the inevitable fate of fusion, a process in which the streams would collide and fall from the window as one large drop.

Beyond that dull image was a sky that seemed to cast it's gray, napping portrait upon the rest of the earth beneath it, for the grass that was usually so green and straight and friendly stood slumped. It's beautiful color, which gleamed so brilliantly, had been washed out and simply looked worn, like an old, threadbare sweater. The powdery, brownish dirt beneath the grass that had often dusted his bare feet had turned to mud that squished rather grossly between his toes, making him wrinkle up his nose in disgust. Mountains, frequently silvery and snow capped in the distance, were masked by a blanket of thick, uninteresting fog while the entire forest in the mountain's foreground seemed to droop as if it were exhausted. Even the brilliant flowers in the gardens that they had all spent time planting around the house seemed to have lost some of their exciting hues.

'This is all so very depressing,' Rinku thought.

He cast his eyes further to the left where he could see the little pond with the lily pads and the serenading frogs, but that too had been compromised. Apparently, not even frogs appreciated THAT much rain.

With an almost pained groan, Rinku rolled from his stomach on to his back and let his arms flop outward like the spread of an eagle's wings. He stared at the white ceiling above him, frowning at its blank stoicism. He turned his head to the side and saw his desk covered with pictures and colored pencils, yo-yo's, candy bar wrappers, and other various items that he knew didn't BELONG there.

He made a mental note to explore the messy heap in the near future. Perhaps such an expedition would reward him with the location of his right red shoe's estranged partner, the missing left red shoe. He could only hope so, because he didn't like his blue shoes as much as he liked his red shoes. Rinku lifted one of his legs up and examined the blue clad foot at the end of it. His eyebrows furrowed as he scrutinized the incasing object. No, he definitely wanted to adorn his red ones again. The blue ones simply faded in to the bland atmosphere too much. With yet another sigh, the boy lowered his leg so that everything below his knee was hanging limply off the side of his bed.

He gnawed deliberately on his lip for some time as his mind went down a list of possible things (ones that didn't include him getting wet) for him to do. He could take a nap, or read a book, watch television, maybe play some solitaire, hang out with Touya and Jin, or Suzuki and Shishi, or Chuu. He could train down in the basement, try his hand at baking something in the kitchen, or maybe he could just spin wildly in a circle to see how long it would take him to fall down.

Tilting his head slightly, Rinku realized that none of those things could actually occur. After all, if he took a nap so late in the afternoon, he would never get to sleep later that night, and he had read every book they had that sparked his interest. Daytime television was full of stupid little kid shows and boring dramatic soap operas that made him queasy when he watched them. He wasn't sure how solitaire had made the list, because he didn't know how to play it, and as for Touya, well the ice youkai would probably be reading a book somewhere, and Rinku doubted he could somehow help with that. Jin, though quite entertaining on a regular basis, was probably sleeping or reading WITH Touya, and Rinku wasn't sure he wanted to be in the room when the two demons got all mushy with each other. Suzuki and Shishi would probably be in their room bickering and "making up" (as the others called it), and Chuu would either be drinking or watching the very daytime television that Rinku despised. Well, knowing Chuu, he was probably doing both.

The basement was flooded from all the rain, he wasn't supposed to use a lot of the stuff in the kitchen unless someone was there to watch him, and the last time he had played the spinning game he'd spun into a table, shattered a vase, and made himself so nauseous that he'd ended up hurling all over the floor. None of the others had been happy about having to clean up the mess. As it were, Shishi had favored that particular vase, and Touya and Suzuki had gotten stuck cleaning up the vomit. He hadn't felt good for the remainder of the day, so Jin and Chuu had made him take some painkillers for the bump he'd acquired on his head (a battle scar from the impact with the floor), and had given him some soup broth to calm his jumpy stomach. Then, they had tucked him into bed and told him fighting stories from their most exciting pasts. He supposed the day hadn't been THAT bad, but it still wasn't something he wanted to repeat.

Even though he wasn't overly fond of the rain, Rinku had considered running outside and playing in it simply because of his desperation for entertainment, but Shishi had spotted him heading toward the door and refused to let him leave. Naturally, Rinku had inquired why he was being imprisoned within the house, and the question was a mistake, for Shishiwakamaru had gone into an elaborate and, quite frankly, LONG speech about all of the horrible things that could happen. He could get struck by lightning, catch a cold, get lost, or slip on the wet grass and break a leg. Rinku had thought all of those scenarios were a bit extreme, but he wasn't about to debate the lavender-eyed swordsman.

Sighing again, the boy sat up and allowed a yawn to escape his mouth as he eyed his dangling feet. Surely there was SOMETHING for him to do. He was a creative young man. Perhaps he needed to step outside the box of normalcy if he intended to find his way out of the dark tunnel that was boredom.

Rinku placed an elbow on his knee and perched his chin in his cupped hand as he thought. He sat in such a way for a drawn-out period of time formulating and deliberating various plans and ideas. It took him a while, but when the idea struck him, all of his efforts seemed well worth it. So, with eyes full of excitement, Rinku hopped off of the bed and scurried from his room.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Check out the first chapter, my friends.

Author's Note: I'm posting all of this madness pretty much at the same time so forgive me if my disclaimers and author's notes begin to lack a certain friendly charm. I'm really just happy to finally be posting this thing! Happy Readings!

ooo

What started as a trivial noise in the farthest regions of his slumbering mind suddenly grew louder, causing the muscular man to, begrudgingly, open his soft blue eyes. He sighed in irritation at what had roused him from his peaceful napping, though he wasn't entirely certain what had committed the dastardly act.

With a deliberate grumble crawling its way from the depths of his barreled chest, Chuu sat up on the cushy sofa that had cradled him in sleep only moments prior. As he maneuvered his rather goodly arms to better accommodate his current position, he accidentally knocked a few empty bottles of sake from their standing positions on the coffee table to the floor. He watched them fall with little concern of an ensuing mess because Chuu knew very well that each and every one of those bottles that gleamed gently in the orange light of the room was quite vacant. Being the responsible adult that he was, Chuu strongly believed in finishing the tasks that he started, so when a bottle was opened, he always finished it.

He glanced outside the large picture window and noticed first the playful reflection of the muted television, but beyond that he was able to see the day for what it was, dreary and sullen. Really, it was an ideal day for cat napping what with the ever present lull-a-bye of the rain outside beating against the roof and the atypical silence that reigned throughout the capacious house that he shared with his friends.

Ah, silence, such a rare flavor of life. It was a thing to be appreciated and taken advantage of when the occasion was ripe. For the past three days, Chuu had taken advantage of this foreign wonder, but on this day the uninvited guest that was noise interrupted his quiet celebration of silence.

Chuu, heaving another great sigh, decided it was time to find the source of that discordant noise. So, he lifted himself in all of his magnitude from the couch and was unable to suppress a yawn as he turned from the sofa, its cushions still bruised from his muscular weight. Now behind him was the mess of sake bottles on the floor and the softly glowing television. The opposite direction from his lazy paradise held a rather unique image that caused him a baffled blink. He knew he hadn't left that side of the room looking like that.

It was truly a head-scratching dilemma, but all of his questions were soon answered when a familiar young boy came prancing into the room, his little but strong arms carrying a rather remarkable load of items.

At first, it seemed as though Rinku did not notice the somewhat hulking figure in the room, and he went about his way. He dropped the many items into the questionable pile of things Chuu had been contemplating before. At least he knew he hadn't done it in a state of slight inebriation.

Rinku, still distracted with his task, turned on his heel and started out of the room. Chuu blinked again and then realized his chance at a reasonable explanation was leaving.

"Oi! Hold on there, little mate," summoned Chuu.

Rinku turned around, a little surprised to see his friend up and about, and tilted his head.

"That's right, you with the short legs, come'ere." Chuu motioned with one of his large hands.

The boy scowled at the comment and glanced down at his legs quickly. They weren't THAT short.

"What?" Rinku inquired as he walked towards Chuu.

Chuu bent a little at the waist so as to make speaking with the much shorter youth a little easier.

"What exactly are you doing with this mess? If Touya, Shishi, or Suzuki were to see it, they'd have a hernia."

Rinku put his hands on his hips and gave Chuu a rather matter-of-fact look. "What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked.

Chuu looked from Rinku to the mess of things on the hardwood floor and back to Rinku.

"Looks to me like you're creating havoc," he replied just as matter-of-factly.

A grin spread across Rinku's face as he backed up a bit and knelt down to pick up a folded white sheet, which he quickly spread out and held up.

"War IS havoc, Chuu," he replied.

Chuu was baffled with the reply. He took a moment to better observe the boy, the sheet in the boy's hands, and the assorted items on the floor before it finally dawned on him.

Rinku, seeing that his friend had caught on, let his grin grow even wider.

"Wanna help?"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: (Me: Directs reader's attention to first installment with red flags) ,

Author's Note: Um, yes. Happy Readings!

ooo

Jin watched as the slender hand of his icy lover gently flipped the slightly yellowed page of a book that humans considered a "classic". Touya seemed to be infinitely fascinated by it and had barely put the piece of literature down for several days. Jin, on the other hand, was simply fascinated that Touya was so fascinated, as his companion rarely showcased his personal likes and dislikes. The ice youkai seemed to have a certain amount of passion for reading, a passion, Jin imagined, that was only surpassed by Touya's passion for him. Jin often sat along side his love and partook in this passion so that he might become even closer to the one he adored and admired so.

However, with the sun having fled from the drab weather for so many days, Jin was slowly becoming bored with the daily practice of waking up and spending the day reading.

A rather large yawn escaped Jin's mouth, and he quickly collapsed from the cushioned sofa arm, making a sloppy but over all successful landing atop the petite youkai. The impact caused Touya to drop the heavy book, which thudded to the floor and closed itself as if it were somehow offended by the harsh treatment.

Touya raised a thin eyebrow at the obviously premeditated act and sighed.

"Are you quite through now, Jin?" He asked, his easy voice lingering in the still atmosphere of the otherwise quiet room.

Blue eyes regarded him playfully. "Um, I dunno. Can I think about it a moment?" He asked with an all too innocent look on his cherub face.

Touya rolled his striking eyes and made the effort to shove Jin off of his lap and on to the floor, where Jin landed right next to the haughty old book. The wind master watched on in jealous dismay as the ice youkai chose to rescue his book from the floor instead of his lover. But, never one to be ignored, Jin climbed to his feet and sighed.

"Aren't ya tired of that thing yet, Touya?" He inquired.

Touya shrugged, never looking up to his lover, and flipped to the page where he had left off. "What's to be tired of?" He countered.

Jin wrinkled his nose at the comment, and his ears slumped to further indicate his discontent. "It's been the same thing for hours n' hours n' days n' days! The book hasn't done anything the least bit exciting." He said.

Touya sighed softly and lowered his favored book so that it lay neatly in his exquisite lap. "Jin, love, if you are so disinterested, why don't you find something else to do with your time? There's no mandate stating that you absolutely must stay here and enjoy everything that I do," he explained.

A pout was Touya's initial answer. "I enjoy spending time with you, and I like reading with you, but we've been doin' it since the rain started, and it hasn't stopped for three days, and I'll be damned if we're STILL reading."

The ice master merely shook his head. "Find Rinku. He's been moping around the house for days. Surely a pair with minds as creative as both of yours can conjure up something to occupy your time with."

Jin grumbled and crossed his arms over his chest. He tossed Touya a look of obvious discontent in hopes that he might succeed in moving his love's stony emotions in his favor. Alas, the petite master of ice merely threw back a meaningless smile and returned to his task.

He sighed in defeat. "A'right, ya win," he muttered as he turned and began walking out of the room.

He looked over his shoulder just in time to see a pale hand flip an ancient page and could've sworn the book was smirking at him. 'Ch, whatever,' he thought idly.

If there was one thing Jin was good at, it was preoccupying himself. He didn't need Touya to fill his time, though he much preferred it when Touya did. Perhaps he WOULD go and find young Rinku, and they could compose some bit of rubbish to entertain themselves with. He was a good kid, too. Jin had always liked him and had a soft spot in his heart for the little orphan. No one, not even Chuu, was sure what happened to his parents. Rinku never spoke of it, and out of courtesy they hadn't asked. There were orphaned kids all over the Makai, and Jin believed Rinku was just grateful to have a semblance of family.

A lopsided smile fell upon his lips as he passed the dining room. They barely used it and, as a result, the room had fallen victim to many a wrestling match between himself, Chuu, Rinku, and sometimes even Suzuki, Shishi, and Touya. As he thought of it, every room held a memory of a sort, even the upstairs storage closet! In fact, it was one of his favorites, as it was the very place where Touya and he had admitted their feelings for one another. He passed by the bathroom and chuckled as he recalled the time he and Chuu had caught Shishi singing in the shower, and he smiled as he saw the conservatory where he and Touya had gotten a little wild, rolled into the table, and knocked off a bunch of Suzuki's experimental cactus plants. The smile quickly transformed into a droll grimace as he thought about the painful hour it had taken he and his lover to pluck the relentless needles from their skin.

His keen ears twitched at the sound of the television coming from the living room. Cheerful orange light poured from the wide doorway onto the dark floor of the hallway. As he neared the room he could picture Chuu slumbering away on the couch, surrounded by sake bottles. The television would be on, showcasing yet another dramatic soap opera wherein you would find out that Carrie's baby actually belonged to Joe the baker, whose kind personality and rugged good looks had stolen her heart from her husband, that cruel mob boss, Frankie.

A chuckle once again bubbled up from between Jin's lips. It was all so predictable, but Chuu drank it up like it was another bottle of alcohol.

He was very close to entering the living room, and that classic image was still in his mind, which was why when he turned the corner he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes went wide at the strange sight in front of him. On one side of the large living room was a bunch of sheets and blankets that were either tied, taped, or held to the table, wall, buffet, and swinging kitchen door that made up the majority of that side of the room. On the opposite side of the room were more sheets and blankets held up in the same manner, only they enshrouded the couch, picture window, and the wall that harbored a small, decorative table that held Chuu's CD player. Looking down, Jin found a white chalk line drawn vertically on the hardwood floor extending from the doorway he stood in and all the way to the stairs that lead to the upper level of their house.

Confusion written all over his face, Jin took a hesitant step into the room that was once the living room. Now it was . . . it was . . .

"What he hell is this?" He asked aloud, when his mind failed to find a word to describe the madness in front of him.

Suddenly, Chuu poked his head out from beneath one of the many sheets on his side of the living room, the one with the couch and picture window.

Jin's eyes widened, and he barely muffled his laughter at the sight of his friend. "Chuu," he started. "What in the world is that wok doing strapped to your head?" He

inquired and rightfully so.

Chuu regarded him with a grin. "To protect my brain, I'd hate to damage it!" He

winked and gave himself a playful knock on his partially bald cranium.

Jin laughed. "If thas what protects your head, I'd hate ta think what protects your goods!" He exclaimed.

Chuu just grinned and brought his arm up to take a swig from his sake bottle.

Jin continued his laughter until he could manage to ask his question once more. "Now what is goin' on in here? It's like a war zone or somethin'!"

Much to the wind master's surprise, Chuu's face took on a sudden look of seriousness. "Civilian in the area! In-coming! Get down!" The large man shouted, and then disappeared under his makeshift tent.

Jin blinked in confusion. "What are ya--"

But it was too late. From the opposite side of the room, flour bombs were launched into the air. One hit the floor, exploding into a dizzying cloud of white that caused Jin's bewilderment to increase, one hit the top of Chuu's fort, and the other landed right on the former Shinobi's red head. Flour coated his hair and face, and he was shocked, to say the least. He blinked in amazement as Rinku appeared from his respective fort on the opposite side of the room, a pillow tied to the top of his head.

"Oh the casualties of war! An innocent civilian!" He said dramatically. "Will I be forgiven for the brutal acts that battle has forced out of me! Woe is me, for I feel the fires of eternal damnation creeping up behind me! Devil take me, but I fight the good fight till the day you claim me!" Rinku's young face was twisted into a look of sorrow and pain for his apparent dastardly act, and then as quickly as he appeared, he disappeared beneath his protective sheets, battle pillow and all.

Jin stood in the middle of the room for a moment, quietly pondering the odd occurrences before it finally hit him like a hammer to a nail. A familiar grin spread across his face, and he grabbed a cushion from the sofa and secured it to his torso with a roll of forgotten electric tape next to the coffee table. He shook his head to rid himself of some of the flour before throwing one arm up into the air and proclaiming, "Revenge shall be MINE!" Without a further moment of hesitance, Jin crawled under the sheets and blankets that housed the wok protected Chuu.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: (Me: Blinks) Um . . . drinks all around? (Everyone: cricket, cricket)

Author's Note: Happy Readings!

ooo

Shishi ran the pristine white cloth down the pernicious blade of his sword, reveling in the clean glimmer that resulted. With the weather as it was, he could hardly think of going outside to practice techniques, but he could care for the beloved weapon in the meantime. And care he did, for the swordsman had been polishing it for the last half hour. Though it took up only a small portion of his day, he found that period to be the most relaxing and therapeutic. It was a time when he could bond with the fighting spirit of his sword, and he appreciated it very much.

However, this particular time period on this particular day did not have the tranquility of the previous ones. Today he could care for and admire the sword but could not use the peace and quiet to become one with it as he usually did. The reason, of course, was because of the actions of a certain blonde who was beginning to ware thin on Shishiwakamaru's sensitive nerves.

Lavender eyes tore themselves away from the prized sword in favor of staring at the moving figure of Suzuki. Shishi glared pins of irritation at his lover but to no avail. The scientist was far too enraptured with his is work to take notice, so Shishi fought his temper and cleared his throat.

"Suzuki," he summoned. His voice was soft but tinged with a distinct flavor of agitation.

He watched as Suzuki continued about his work and couldn't help but allow a few droplets of searing anger to breach his calm.

"Suzuki!"

Surprised, Suzuki turned around quickly to face him, nearly knocking over a beaker of some strangely colored chemical.

"Hm? What is it, Shish?"

Shishi took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. "Why are doing your experiments in our room today?" He asked.

The blonde shrugged and smiled. "It's too humid to do it in the conservatory."

Shishi tried to ignore the innocent look on his lover's face, reminding himself quickly that he was upset at his peace being disrupted.

"This is a large house, Suzuki. Surely there is somewhere else that you could play with your little science projects," he replied.

Suzuki's eye twitched at the comment. Was there no respect for genius?

"They aren't just 'little science projects'. All of my experiments hold value, Shishi, and I'll thank you to remember that," he retorted, his tone now curt. "If you have a problem with it, why don't you leave?"

Shishi's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me, but last time I checked our bedroom wasn't a laboratory. Therefore, you should be the one to go elsewhere."

The two demons stared at one another, challenging, battling with their eyes. The air was tight with tension, albeit, it was a familiar tension that the two had become quite accustomed to over the short year or two that they had been together.

Outside the rain seemed to beat harder on the windowpane, as if adding some sort of sound effect to further the combatant atmosphere.

Shishi cocked an eyebrow and sat back in his chair. "Well I'm not leaving."

Suzuki crossed his arms over his well-defined chest and replied simply, "Neither am I."

"Well one of us has to," responded Shishiwakamaru.

The blonde scientist merely shrugged. "Well it won't be me."

"And it won't be me," said the swordsman.

Once again their eyes fought a never-ending battle for control, but neither backed down. They were always having these little quarrels and sometimes wondered why they bothered to stay together, but both always came to the conclusion that they were better off as a couple than anything else. Although they made things difficult for one another, they enjoyed the bond and attraction shared between them. Outwardly it would seem that they didn't fit nearly as well together as Jin and Touya, but inside both demons knew that they completed one another in a way that no one else could.

However, it was on this particular occasion that they found themselves quite unwilling to yield to the passion that they held for one another. Perhaps it had something to do with being trapped inside of the house for three long and uneventful days.

"This is stupid, Suzuki. Just leave!" Shishi suddenly shouted, rising menacingly to his feet.

The blonde Suzuki took a defiant step forward. "I will do no such thing. I demand that you leave this instant!"

Shishi's eyes narrowed. His first reaction was to argue that he should not be the one to move, but he realized that it had been getting him nowhere thus far. So he took a deep breath and moved closer to Suzuki.

"Fine, you can have your way, I'll leave," He said a little too calmly.

True to his word, Shishiwakamaru gave his lover one final glare before heading toward the door, knowing well enough that the other demon's eyes were following his movement. He opened it slightly and then paused to look back at a silently fuming Suzuki.

"But I'm NOT coming back!" Shishi added, and with that he slammed the door behind him.

Now on the opposite side of the wall, Shishi smirked to himself. That little move always got Suzuki. The blonde hated the idea of not being able to be in the company of his lover, and Shishi used it to his advantage as much as possible.

'In any case,' thought Shishi idly as he began walking downstairs. 'He's being ridiculous.'

The swordsman fumed silently as he descended each step. His task interrupted, he really didn't know what to do with himself. Oh, maybe he would reside himself to vegetating in front of the television with Chuu to watch one of those abhorrent soap opera dramas. The very idea of it made his mouth curve into a distasteful sort of scowl.

On the other hand, Touya always new of some wonderful books he could read, but he really didn't feel like doing that. Perhaps he could tempt Jin into an intellectual game of chess, but the thought simply made him chuckle. Jin and chess were simply two things that didn't belong together. The last time the giddy redhead had played chess he'd ended up role-playing with the pieces. Really, it had been a surprisingly fascinating story, but no better than one of Chuu's soaps.

There was always Rinku. He could perhaps play some childish game with the young boy. After all, he'd been moping around the house for days complaining about the lack of stimulating activities, but Shishi wasn't so certain that Rinku wasn't still upset about being banned from going outside. He didn't feel bad, as he'd only been thinking of young Rinku's best interest, but children would always be children. He remembered many times when he was young holding grudges against his father because he'd been prohibited from doing things he wanted to do.

Soon, Shishi's feet joined one another on the first floor of the house, and he looked up. He took no further steps as he gazed in confusion at the transformation in front of him.

"What . . . happened to the living room?" He asked aloud but more to himself than anyone else. It was covered in sheets and pillows and wrapped with tape; it was a mess!

The television was still on; its colored pictures gently combated the gray weather outside. Chuu's empty sake bottles were where they always were, scattered all around the couch and on the coffee table, and the couch hadn't moved, but its cushions had been absconded with.

Between two sheet-covered sides of the room there was a path of hardwood floor, which was flecked with a white substance. Curiously, he stepped closer toward the anomaly that had become the living room. He squatted down to get a better look at the fine powdery constituent on the floor completely unaware of the three pairs of eyes that watched him intently.

A thin index finger swiped a bit of the dust from the floor, and Shishi examined it further.

'Flour?' He thought puzzled.

Just as he was about to stand to his full height once more, he was suddenly knocked to the floor by what felt like a body. He let out a surprised yelp.

"What the he--," he started but was immediately cut off.

"Stay down! We're under attack," yelled a familiar voice.

Shishi blinked and craned his neck around so that he could see exactly who it was that was sitting on his back.

"Rinku," he asked. "What the HELL are you doing?"

Rinku looked down at him seriously, although the pillow tied to his head defied his fierce expression.

"We don't have time. Any minute they'll be sending at least six bombs our way, and we're out in the middle of nowhere with nothing to cover our asses. Now's the time, son, do you wanna live or are ya givin' it all up?" Rinku forced his voice deep into his throat.

Shishi could only stare at him. "We're in the living room and frankly YOU happen to be covering my ass, SON," he said dully. "Now would you mind telling me what's going on?"

Rinku, however, wasn't paying attention. He was, instead, looking upward with wide eyes.

"Damn it, man! We've wasted too much time. Incoming!" He screamed.

Abruptly, Rinku leapt off of his friend's back and scurried under the sheets of the fort just as three flour bombs hit the floor and exploded right in Shishi's very disgruntled face. He heard cheering from the other side of the room and coughed as the dust began to settle. Although his face was quite white, underneath the powdery mask his cheeks were beginning to tint a dangerous red. He could feel his blood boiling at the indignant confusion he had just suffered, but alas, he had no time to act, as he felt two hands wrap securely around his ankle and soon found himself being dragged on his stomach across the floor. He was pulled under the sheets of a fort just in time to see three more bombs hit the floor where he had been. Despite the ridiculousness of it all, he couldn't help but think, 'Whew, that was a close one!'

"Do you have any injuries, soldier?" Came the question that broke Shishi's trail of thoughts.

The flour-covered swordsman pushed himself to a sitting position and looked up at young Rinku who, despite himself, was grinning like mad.

Through clenched teeth and a vicious glare, Shishi replied, "I'm fine."

"Good. We need all the help we can get. The enemy raided the supply area and got their hands on a box of grenades. They got through our defenses by using a distraction tactic, but it won't happen again. We're at a strategic advantage," he explained. "So whattaya say, soldier? Are with us or against us?"

Shishi blinked and attempted to remain calm. Obviously, he'd been sucked into a strange twilight zone in which his housemates had confused the kitchen for the "supply area", the bag of flour for "grenades", and had in all other senses, gone completely insane.

He gently shook his head, inwardly cringing at the flour that fell from his hair in waves. Still, the bastards HAD ruined his hair. They should be made to pay for the damage.

"I'm in," he said, smiling wickedly at Rinku.

Rinku grinned and handed him a wooden mixing bowl that he'd probably taken from one of the cupboards. "Then suit up!"


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Yup . . . still not so much with me and the owning or having any part of. Yeah.

Author's Note: How's everyone hanging in there? Good? Wonderful! Well, here's the fifth chapter. I hope it cracks some smiles for you all. Happy Readings!

ooo

'But I'm NOT coming back! NOT coming back . . . coming back . . . not coming back . . .'

The words scampered around Suzuki's mind like mischievous pixies, barring him from any sort of useful progress. He couldn't concentrate on his work with Shishi's statement looming over him. He severely hoped that his lover hadn't been too upset. He loved Shishi more than anything, but sometimes he got on his nerves. He was very particular and a bit high maintenance, but it was these things Suzuki was willing to live with and over look about his dear swordsman. Still, he could be so stubborn sometimes!

He carefully set down the beaker of phosphoric acid he was holding and removed his protective eyewear and rubber gloves. Perhaps he should shut everything down and go to locate Shishi. It was better, he'd found, not to let him stew in his anger. It only brought about a more complicated argument later. Although, he'd also found that the more complicated the argument, the better the making up process.

He grinned secretively to himself. Still, it was better to stop the war before it started. If you could settle out of court, why start the trial?

Sighing in anticipation of the pending altercation, Suzuki left his room to search for his angry lover. He checked all of the rooms upstairs and could only shake his head at how messy Rinku's and Chuu's were. He only felt bad for Touya, as he was a particularly clean individual, and Jin was quite the opposite. Their room personified the proverbial yin and yang of the world.

Of course, he didn't find Shishi in the bathroom or laundry room, and he knew that he wouldn't be in the attic. Shishi hated dusty, dank places because the atmosphere was bad for his hair. They had something of a 'junk room' (as Jin had deemed it) that was full of broken things that could be salvageable one day if he ever got around to working on them. He knew he probably never would. If he didn't work on something immediately after it was broken, then he usually didn't intend to. They ended up purchasing many new appliances. It suited him all right, though. After all, they could sell the broken parts someday.

In any case, Shishi wasn't in the junk room either which meant that he was probably sulking downstairs somewhere.

Suzuki couldn't help but sigh again and had to remind himself that searching for his indignant lover didn't qualify as wasted time, although he had to repeat it to himself many times over.

"The things I do . . ." he murmured as he started down the staircase.

He barely had time to wonder where to start looking when he came upon the living room. His eyes bugged out of their sockets for a few moments as he took in the hurricane that had become the living room.

He recognized the powder all over the room as flour but was more horrified to see egg yokes squished onto the floor and into the rugs. There were wadded up paper towels and tissues littering the floor, furniture, and the tops of what appeared to be tents made of every sheet and blanket they owned.

"My God," he said to no one in particular. "Touya is going to rupture a spleen when he sees this!"

Suzuki carefully stepped off of the stairs and walked toward the mess, cautious of the slippery spots and jagged egg shells. He crossed his arms over his chest and took another moment to gauge the damage. He shook his head.

"Guys, c'mon out," he ordered sternly.

Not a sound was made. He eyed the two tents with contempt, easily seeing the outlines of hunched figures, as well as hearing their incessant "shush's".

"Seriously, you've all got an insane amount of cleaning to do," he continued.

Still, there was no response. He waited a few seconds, hoping that one of his friends would have the sense to come out, but his patience was not rewarded. He knew that Jin, Chuu, and Rinku were probably the cause of it all, but he never expected what happened next.

Suddenly, Shishi popped out from the top of one of the forts.

Suzuki's eyes went wide once more. "Shishi?" He asked incredulously.

Shishi grinned a fang-flashing grin and replied, "Damn right."

Without another moments warning, Suzuki found himself covered in a thick, beige colored substance that oozed down his face and onto his shirt. He grimaced in both surprise at the action and disgust at the feeling that the goop left on his skin.

When he got his bearings enough to command his body to move, the blonde slid his hands across his eyes and licked some of the substance off of his finger. He was nonplussed and mildly intrigued by the fact that he was currently covered in what tasted like cake batter.

He looked from his hand and back to the place where Shishi was standing, grinning deviously from ear to ear. The swordsman held a silver bowl in his hands, a very familiar silver bowl.

'Cake batter,' thought Suzuki. Then it hit him. His gaze hardened and turned to a glare, which he directed wholeheartedly at his partner.

"Damn it, Shishi! That's the cake batter I was going to use for dessert!" He exclaimed.

Shishi's devilish grin didn't falter a bit before he disappeared under the sheets again.

Suzuki glared daggers at the empty space where his attacker had been standing. Oh, he was going to pay dearly for that. He'd worked hard to get the batter recipe just right, and now his beloved creation was running down his arms.

"Psst!"

Suzuki turned around quickly toward the strange summon. He saw two pairs of eyes peering out at him from under a blanket that he recognized as Jin and Touya's comforter.

"Psst! Over here," said one voice.

"What?" Suzuki asked harshly, unable to keep the frustration from his voice.

"You see their evil, now fight for your revenge. Join the resistance," said Chuu.

Suzuki stared at his two companions for a moment and glanced back toward the opposite fort in consideration.

"No time fer all this thinkin'!" Jin quipped. "They'll be attackin' again soon."

The blonde growled deep in his throat. Fine, if Shishi wanted to be childish and play at this game, then he'd match him point for point. With a sly smirk he threw his fisted arm in the air and shouted, "Viva la résistance!" Quickly, he disappeared under the fort.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Nope!

Author's Note: Happy Readings!

ooo

Touya wasn't naïve. He had been well aware of the oddities of sudden movement within the house. Naturally, he couldn't begin to fathom what the noises identified with, although he was positive it had something to do with Rinku, Chuu, and probably Jin. A few times he imagined he heard Shishiwakamaru and Suzuki, but it seemed highly unlikely that either of the two would participate in whatever games the other more outgoing inhabitants of the household had concocted in the desperate throws of boredom.

He sighed contentedly as he gently flipped the page of his book.

'Still,' he thought. 'I honestly wouldn't put anything past the lot of them.'

Touya enjoyed rainy days. To him, they seemed soft, like celestial satin-gloved hands reaching out to gently stroke his mood into calm, relaxed detachment. He found a certain poetic solitude in the lonely rumble of thunder and the hush of the rain as it strolled delightedly down the windowpanes. On the occasion, a tender little vein of lightning would unravel through the neutral pallet of the sky, and Touya found a certain amount of delight in observing the phenomenon. Other than that, though, he honestly enjoyed the numbness brought on by being stranded indoors. However, he understood that the numbness he indulged in translated as boredom to Jin and the others, and he accepted the fact. This was the cause of his sending his redheaded lover off to find some bit of entertainment to preoccupy his time with.

Touya loved and adored Jin to no end. He savored the wind master's very presence and found it almost intoxicating like the flavor of a very fine wine. Jin was unique and resilient; he sparked a multitude of feelings within Touya's small, lithe body. But Jin would always be somewhat hyperactive and would always crave activity that let him be physically astir.

Again, the ice master accepted and loved Jin for it, but it was definitely a place where their personalities endured a mild schism. Whereas Touya enjoyed physical exertion, he also found pleasure in curling up quietly with a book, and yes, he could do it for hours on end. Jin, although interested in his books for a period of time, would always inevitably become anxious for something else to do. So, in light of the knowledge, Touya had sent him off to find something that would make him happier . . . at least until he was finished with his novel.

He had a few more chapters to go and wasn't beyond admitting that he hoped for the rain to continue its march on the world for a few more days. A small, sardonic smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he thought about what the storm's extended stay might do to the psyches of his friends.

Touya flipped another page and allowed his thoughts to peter off and become enraptured with the story. He was settled peacefully in his corner of the couch, ignoring the sounds that the others made and allowing himself to be swept away by the thickening plot.

It was in this moment, when Touya had voluntarily left his guard down, that a loud shout echoed from somewhere in the house, successfully startling the ice master. He looked up sharply from the book, glaring in the direction from whence the sound had originated. He had a lot of patience and wasn't particularly upset about being disturbed again, but he was becoming a little nervous. That enraged shout had most certainly come from Suzuki, proving his earlier suspicions true.

He rolled his eyes and grumbled slightly as he reluctantly shut his book, tucking it carefully under his arm, and rose from the sofa. If the other more troublesome ones had managed to somehow drag Suzuki and Shishi into their activities, Touya was certain catastrophe was in the making.

He glanced out the splattered window and begged the teary eyed heavens to grant him even more patience. He was just so certain that he was going to need it. His fingers played idly with the old, fraying cover of his literate companion as he headed into the hallway.

It was unusually dark in the hall and suddenly very quiet. He had expected the noise level to increase with his steady progression towards the living room, the only open door way in the hall that was allowing warm, unnatural light to spill on to the floor. Touya could only set a deliberate scowl on his pale features and continue toward the room. He was now not only concerned about the state of things but also suspicious of his friends.

His eyes narrowed when he approached the wide doorway leading into the living room. He was careful to stand just outside the line of light so that he could listen. There was no sound coming from the room at all, yet he was certain that his friends were in there.

Touya grunted a sigh of irritation and decided that it really wasn't worth all of the trouble to sneak around the facts. There was something going on, something potentially unhealthy for the house, and he needed to find out what it was. So, with deliberate steps, the ice master rounded the corner and stepped into the living room. He hadn't been sure what to expect, he hadn't a clue, but it was definitely not the colossal mess he walked into.

The usually passive expression on his face altered into a look of complete shock and relative terror at the state of things. The couch cushions were gone and both sides of the living room were covered with sheets, tape, and other odds and ends. The lovely hardwood floor was nothing but a sturdy mass of flour and, dare he note, batter of some kind, as well as cracked eggshells and slippery yokes. Globs of chocolate pudding, last night's dessert, trudged down the walls and left their slug-like trail to mar the painted walls. Sake bottles and soda cans lie in still piles like wounded soldiers on a battlefield.

'Patience,' thought Touya, his eyes still bugging at the room. 'SOMEBODY give me patience."

He took a deep, calming breath and gently set his book down on the coffee table in front of the bare couch. He then turned to regard those who he knew were hiding away in their little forts.

"I want everyone to come out here right now and explain to me how this happened, why this happened, and who is going to clean this up," he said.

He heard quiet mutterings from inside both fortresses and rolled his eyes. Suddenly, Rinku's brunette head popped out from under his respectful sheet and flashed him a grin. "Fight or be destroyed, mister," he uttered and disappeared once more.

Touya's eyebrow rose. Honestly, he would have found the statement humorous were the flour under his feet not a reminder of the chaos nestled in the living room of their house.

Instead of chuckling, as had been his first reaction, Touya opened his mouth to make another round of demands, but he didn't even get his first words out before Shishi suddenly yelled, "Target locked! Fire!"

Touya ducked out of instinct as two flour bombs and a couple of eggs flew over his head. He glared at Shishi, believing that the swordsman had intended him as the target, but was mildly surprised to find that the true target had been a very messy looking Jin.

The wind master stood shocked in place near the sofa, covered in flour and eggs, and Touya had to admit that he would've laughed at that as well if only he hadn't noticed the book in Jin's hands.

"Jin! Put that book back down before you get something on it," Touya shouted.

Touya's voice seemed to draw Jin out from his place of momentary shock, and he regarded his icy lover with a triumphant smirk. With a gleam in his eyes not completely uncommon, he darted back to his own fort where Touya heard him say, "Mission complete. I've got the hostage."

Indignance swelled within his pale, slight frame as he glared cold daggers at the sheets and blankets that formed Jin's hide-a-way and held his beloved book.

"This is ridiculous. Do not make me come in there and get it from you, Jin," he threatened.

"Oy! This fort is impenetrable. Ya can't get in here, no one can," quipped Chuu from inside the fort.

Touya scoffed. "Are you telling me you think that lame little blockade will keep you safe from me?"

There was a pause. "You will be punished for insulting our ways," cried Suzuki suddenly.

Touya's eyebrow once again rose upward, and this time he was unable to keep the smirk off of his sculpted features. However, the smile was short-lived as he observed Suzuki pop out from under the sheets, a large Tupperware container secured to his blonde head, and a bowl and wooden spoon in his hands.

"Hey, isn't that from my good Tupperware--" Touya started.

"Get down!" Rinku shouted from behind him.

The confused ice master whipped around just in time to be bodily tackled to the floor by the young boy.

"Pudding glob incoming!" Shouted Shishi.

Touya watched in horror as a chocolate clod of dark pudding splattered against the opposite wall.

"God damn it, Suzuki! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Touya yelled, raising his voice on a rare occasion.

Still on his back with Rinku on his stomach, Touya craned his head backward to gaze upside down at Shishi's grinning face.

"Surrender or the hostage gets it," he proclaimed before slipping under the sheets.

"Oh for God's sake," Touya muttered. "This is completely asinine."

"No kidding," Rinku agreed.

The young boy's voice called his attention, and he regarded the one on top of him with a scowl.

"That's why we've got to take them out. If they gain control of the government, society will crumble before our eyes," he explained.

Touya could only blink.

Shishi, who hadn't appeared yet, peeked out from under the bottom of the fort. "Plus, the bastards have taken a hostage. We need a man with good tactical methods and a strong constitution. It's a war zone out here, and things can get pretty gruesome," Shishi stated.

Touya blinked yet again. "You're kidding, right?"

Rinku, in the meantime, climbed off of him and stood up. He then held a hand down and Touya took it almost unconsciously and stood up.

"War is never a joke," Rinku supplied.

The former shinobi looked to Shishi in his wooden bowl and then back to Rinku in his pillow. Their serious expressions matched one another, as did the grin behind their eyes.

His backside was covered in flour from his contact with the floor and he must've landed in a puddle of egg entrails as well because he could feel the goop running down his right arm.

He sighed. "Thank you, but I do not believe I will be attending this little field trip to the land of mild retardation today," Touya said sarcastically.

Rinku frowned as did Shishi, both of them trying to think of something that might convince their friend to join their worthy cause; however, it turned out that their words were not needed.

From across the room a sudden round of whooping calls grabbed their attention. "Death to the hostage," cried Chuu's excited voice.

Touya's eyes widened. Did they not understand that the book was a classic? An aged time capsule of a separate time and place? An book whose words had acted as a unique tether to thousands of others who had read the book, who might currently be reading it? Was nothing sacred?

"Jin, if anything happens to that book . . ." he warned.

Rinku placed his hand on Touya's forearm, asking his attention. Touya reluctantly gave his frosty gaze to the young boy. Rinku shook his head.

"Words are worth nothing to scum like them. Join us, fight them, and we will do everything within our power to save the hostage," he said softly.

Touya's eyes rested on his young friend for a time before sliding back to the opposing fort, and then to Shishi's glaring face. He sighed again.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," he mumbled under his breath. "Alright, Rinku, Shishi, let's do this," he said.

Rinku let out a cry of joy and yanked his unresisting form under the thin walls of their fort.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Still have nothing to do with it!

Author's Note: We're winding down people. I hope you enjoy this installment! Happy Readings!

ooo

While the rain outside fell, each raindrop playfully chasing the other, and the thunder rumbled methodically in the vast heavens, an epic war took place within the sturdy confines of a large house.

Lovers and friends were pitted against one another and it was a war, like any war, that had casualties.

Despite all of his efforts, Shishiwakamaru's beloved hair was subject to another flour bombing. It was a brutal attack, lead by Suzuki, which only served to spur Shishi's anger toward the enemy and allowed him to come back to spoon catapult a mind-boggling barrage of chocolate pieces. Suzuki had laughed at the so-called "lame" attack as he plucked the chocolate morsels from various landing sights and popped them in his mouth. Shishi only smirked. The joke was on him, as the chocolate was none other than the dreaded cooking chocolate.

"Tastes bitter, huh? Just like losing," Shishi proclaimed.

In a dramatic twist of irony, Touya was caught in a deadly crossfire of ice cubes while attempting to save his precious book, which was tied to a chair behind enemy lines. It was an unsuccessful mission that resulted in several ice cube induced bruises.

Rinku suffered a nasty salsa stain on the front of his shirt when he tried to foil Chuu's plan to infiltrate the kitchen and steal supplies. Chuu did escape with the stolen ammunition, but he did not leave unscathed. At the same time he had splattered salsa on Rinku, Rinku managed to squirt him with the squeeze bottle of mustard. The hulking man had escaped, but his bluish mohawk was tinted a sickly yellow.

Jin, who was floating on an air of confidence from barely being touched, was swiftly knocked from his high floating cloud when Touya finally succeeded in getting to his poor book. Jin was quick to try and thwart the smaller demon's efforts, but Touya was prepared with left over sauerkraut, one of the few condiments Jin could not stand. The ice master took advantage of his lover's occasional bout of clumsiness and tripped him. Jin fell to the gooey floor with a yelp. Touya jumped atop him immediately, and any cheeky comment the redhead had to say was quickly bitten short when Touya revealed the spoon and bowl of greatly feared sauerkraut. Jin's bright blue eyes grew wide with the appearance of Touya's malicious smirk.

By the end of the encounter, Jin was slathered with the vile substance, and his tongue was on fire with the nasty taste. Touya had also rescued his book and left Jin to wallow in his angst.

After a time, it became evident that both sides were evenly matched, and the two small armies retreated into their forts to plan. Now was the time. Never had the house seen such a massive battle full of emotion. Never had there been such full-scale attacks or dangerous stunts, and such a war had never lasted as long. This war was the child of three days full of pent up boredom and irritation. But now it was going to end with a final, grandiose last stand. It was time to separate the men from the mice, the winners from the losers, the strong from the weak. It was time for the end.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: (Me: Blink)

Author's Note: Happy Readings!

ooo

No one had heard word from Chuu, Rinku, Shishi, Suzuki, Jin, or Touya for several days. The storm wasn't terrible, but it certainly was long lasting, and Yusuke couldn't help but be a little curious as to why his friends hadn't contacted him. Usually Chuu and Jin, at least, would show up on his doorstep for a little bit of fun or give him a call, although it was generally the former as opposed to the latter. He wondered if, perhaps, their power had gone out or something along those lines.

Of course, he knew that they were perfectly able to take care of themselves, but he couldn't keep the thoughts from trampling around his mind.

"Yusuke."

The dark haired young man shook his head and looked up to regard the person who had summoned him.

"Yeah, man, what is it?" He asked.

Kurama smiled softly. "I was inquiring as to what you had planned for your and Keiko's anniversary this year?"

Yusuke blinked and proceeded to bite his lip for a moment before allowing that patented sheepish smile to play on his face.

The former youko thief rolled his lovely eyes and set his friend with a frustrated stare. "You forgot again? That's the second year in a row, Yusuke. Keiko will be quite displeased."

Yusuke shrugged. "Hey, calm down fox-boy. Our anniversary isn't until . . . um," he fumbled.

A delicate eyebrow arched upward as Kurama supplied, "Friday."

"Yeah, Friday. That gives me fives days to come up with something cool. And hey, if I need help in the romance department, I'll just give you a call, right, man?"

Kurama merely sighed and rested his chin in his hand, idly stirring his coffee with the other hand. "Irresponsible procrastinator to the very end," he mumbled but could not keep the affectionate smile from his lips.

Yusuke grinned and shrugged easily. He proceeded to bite into his sandwich and munched on it thoughtfully, his mind once again returning to the welfare of his friends.

"Hey, what do you think Jin and those guys are up to?" He asked suddenly.

Kurama tilted his head slightly at the tone on his friend's voice. It was almost too casual, as though he were TRYING to make it sound careless.

"I couldn't imagine, Yusuke," he replied, green eyes watching the other man's reaction with interest.

Yusuke averted his eyes for a moment and softly murmured, "You think they're

okay?"

Kurama didn't answer immediately, and the dark-haired detective looked up sharply to gauge his friend's expression. It was one of mild amusement.

"Don't look at me that way, Kurama," he warned embarrassedly.

The fox only grinned, a playful glint in his eyes. "Yusuke, I think they can manage a little rain, don't you?"

"Hey, I've got reason to be a little concerned about it. Last time there was a storm their power went out, and we found Shishi burning things in the backyard."

Kurama grinned. "He was only burning things because of Touya and Jin's . . . personal explorations," he pointed out.

It was Yusuke's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Eloquently put," he said dryly. "Anyway, the point is that I think we should go make sure that everything is in one piece up there. I mean, hey, we can even grab Genkai. She hasn't seen those guys in ages, and I know she likes them despite the little incident involving Jin, Chuu, Rinku, and the those genetically enhanced fire ants of Suzuki's."

It took more convincing, but Yusuke persuaded his erudite friend to accompany he and Genkai up to the house. He wasn't sure why, but he just felt the need to make sure that everything was running smoothly with his six most interesting friends.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho in any way, shape or form. I have rights only to my lame obsession!

Author's Note: Happy Readings!

ooo

Silence crept over the barren ground, it's cold, unfeeling emptiness caressing the turmoil strewn about the battlefield. As if alive, the desecrated hardwood floor seemed to shiver with the chilly fingers of the overwhelming quiet in the room. Not even the musical sounds of the steady storm seemed to breach the still hush.

But this picture was an illusion, a mere calm before the true storm that would surely engulf the silence, ripping it to pieces with jagged, slobbery fangs.

Abruptly, there was a ruffle of sheets from one side of the room and, as if in reply, a shuffling from the other. Rinku peered out from under the sheets, a scowl on his young face. He then ducked back under to whisper to his team.

Chuu peeked out from the top of his fort and looked out, his face a mask of seriousness, his eyes alight with joy, and then he sank back into the protection of his own cautious sheets.

Suddenly, there was a sharp battle cry, and Rinku darted out into the center of the room, wielding a wooden spoon and an arsenal of eggs. Behind him, Shishi and Touya burst forth, echoing a similar shout. Touya clutched a ladle in his upraised right hand, a bowl of leftover marinara sauce from two nights ago, and couple of flour bombs, while Shishi held an eggbeater like he held his beloved sword. The swordsman was complete with a bag full of tomatoes and baby carrots tied around his waist.

"Death to the infidels!" Cried Rinku as he descended upon the other fort.

As he was about to strike the other force's hold, Chuu suddenly rose up, grinning evilly. Rinku, surprised, stumbled back a moment and offered the large man the opportunity to squirt cheese whiz all over his shocked face. The young boy fell flat on his behind as he tried to wipe the thick goop out of his eyes.

However, Shishi and Touya were not about to allow the act to go unpunished, and Touya quickly attacked with a barrage of flour bombs while Chuu's hair received the egg beating of its life, courtesy of Shishi.

Chuu wailed in agony as Shishi abandoned his egg beating to quickly grab two baby carrots, which he promptly shoved in the larger man's nose. The swordsman stood up triumphantly and pointed down at his befallen enemy.

"This is the fate of all those who oppose our order," he proclaimed.

The abrupt tackle delivered by a very excited Jin prohibited any further speech.

"Damn yer order and damn you too!" Cried the blatant redhead.

Within the mere seconds that followed, Shishi's cherished hair was smeared with the bread dough that Suzuki had planned on baking for dinner.

"That'll teach ya to love yer dead follicles," Jin said smugly.

In the meantime, Touya had helped young Rinku to his feet, and the two took note of Shishi's position.

"He's under attack," said Rinku anxiously. "We've got to help him!"

Touya nodded but held his friend back when he tried to run to their comrade's aid. "It could be a trap. We don't know the position of the third," reasoned the ice demon.

"Maybe you should look behind you," whispered a new voice.

Both Touya and Rinku whipped around and were faced with Suzuki, who grinned malevolently.

"You two are looking a little bland," he commented curtly. From behind his back, the blonde pulled out two squirt guns and took aim. "Maybe a little coconut extract will liven you up!"

Suzuki laughed manically as he soaked the pair in the very coconut extract that he had used in Rinku's birthday cake one month ago.

The battle raged on with neither side gaining an obvious advantage.

Suzuki's tropical attack was avenged when a newly recovered and greatly enraged Shishi started pummeling him with tomatoes. Rinku and Touya escaped relatively unharmed, but Rinku was unable to avoid a vengeful attack of ranch dressing delivered by Chuu, who laughed during the entire ordeal. Thankfully for Rinku, Shishi had just finished his own attack and quickly came to his young friend's aid, threatening goodly Chuu with another vicious egg beating.

Touya's attempt at invading his opponent's fort was thwarted by Jin. The giddy wind master giggled gleefully as he leapt atop his struggling lover to flick left over potato salad in his face. However, Touya took advantage of an overly confident Jin and pulled out his ladle, which he did not hesitate to smack Jin atop the head with. Jin, surprised and somewhat wounded, tumbled off of the smaller demon in a heap of groans and whimpers.

And it was somewhere in the midst of all of this, at a time period where Touya straddled Jin's aching form, Shishi was wrist deep in Chuu's egg beaten, tangled hair, and Rinku and Suzuki were about to partake in a duel of flour bombs and cooking oil, that the front door opened and the light, which had been flipped off in all of the hubbub, came on.

All activity stopped, the epic war's valiant contenders seemingly frozen in time as they all blinked owlishly at the three familiar figures standing in the doorway. No one spoke for the longest time until one of the new comer's temporary bout of lockjaw subsided.

"Holy shit," said Yusuke, none to quietly. He was gaping openly at the wreck of a living room as well as the very strange and questionable positions of his friends. Even Kurama and Genkai abandoned their predominant passive expressions for looks of complete and utter shock and confusion.

Now Touya, Jin, Rinku, Chuu, Shishi, and Suzuki all exchanged glances of uncertainty.

"Um," uttered Touya as he lowered his arm and set the ladle on the floor. He looked at his newly arrived friends, particularly at Kurama's perplexed face, and flushed.

"This must all seem . . . very strange to you three," Touya started, his voice choppy from embarrassment and a sudden lack of verbal skills. "But, uh . . ."

"He started it!" Cried Rinku suddenly, pointing an accusing finger Chuu.

Chuu scowled as Shishi tried to untangle the eggbeater from his hair.

"Nuh-uh, you little liar," Chuu protested.

Without any further warning, the two were engaged in an argument while Touya climbed off of Jin, Jin found his feet, Shishi made a desperate attempt at looking decent, and Suzui set down his arsenal of flour bombs and his bottle of cooking oil so as to salvage a bit of his dignity.

Ignoring the other bickering pair, Kurama stepped forward, gracefully avoiding a glob of pudding, and cleared his throat. "Would someone like to explain how this," and he motioned around the room, "all came about?"

Jin wiped distractedly at one of the many stains on his pant leg. "Well I was readin' with Touya and I got bored and Touya wouldn't give me the time a day. He chose his stupid book over his own lover and--"

Touya glared. "Jin, that's ridiculous," he interrupted.

Jin cast his own glower in Touya's direction. "Is not. S'all ya ever seem ta care about," he said accusingly.

Within another moment Touya and Jin were at each other's throats.

Meanwhile, Genkai's eye began to twitch from irritation and her already present frown deepened.

When Suzuki and Shishi began their own quarrel for one reason or other, the elderly woman had decided that she had heard quite enough.

"Shut-up!" She shouted sharply.

There was no disobeying that tone, and it was all that was needed for an abrupt silence to encompass the room. All guilty partisans stared wide-eyed at their former sensei.

"I don't give a damn what lead up to this or a flying fuck about who started it, but you brainless excuses for fighters had better get this shit fest cleaned the hell up, do you understand me?" She said calmly, but the underlying tone in her voice was threat enough.

"Yes, sensei!" They said unison.

Genkai stared each of her former students down, solidifying her threat, before she turned to her companions.

"Urameshi, Kurama, let's find some place that isn't covered in filth and sit down. We're going to observe, and each time one of these hopeless slackers strays from the task at hand, I get to practice one of my new techniques on their respective asses," said Genkai. There was sadistic humor laced into her scratchy voice as she pulled out a cigarette and chuckled wryly.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: (Me: Grins)

Author's Note: This is it guys. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this story! Happy Readings!

ooo

Three hours later the rain was less than an irritating mist outside and the thunder only grumbled quietly in the sky. The lightning flashed weekly in the gray clouds, which were being punctured occasionally by elegant fingers of cheery sunlight.

Rinku sighed as he climbed off of his hands and knees and sat back on his heels. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and gazed longingly out the picture

window. Beside him sat a bucket of soapy water and over his shoulder was a damp rag. He didn't imagine that the pudding stains would ever completely come off of the walls.

"Back to work, kiddo," commanded Genkai.

The young boy cast an irritated glance over his shoulder at her but went back to scrubbing the scarred wall.

Suzuki swept the floor, freeing it of the things that hadn't dried and stuck to it, and Shishi followed him with a wire brush as he laboriously scraped the more crusty substances off of the hardwood.

Chuu collected the abandoned bottles and cans and dismantled the forts whilst Touya and Jin returned the missing kitchen items and home décor to their rightful places.

Genkai, Yusuke, and Kurama sat around the restored coffee table and watched with mild interest the goings on. Genkai was relentless in her orders as well as her criticism of their battle once Rinku had explained it all to her. Despite her apparent displeasure, though, she maintained a good-natured smile on her wrinkled face throughout the duration of the tale.

Yusuke and Kurama shared healthy laughter at the entire situation as they sipped tea with their older friend.

"You see, Kurama? I told you we needed to check on them," Yusuke said.

The former thief smirked. "Perhaps we should hire them a baby sitter. I'm sure Genkai could take some time out of her day to come and watch them," he suggested.

At his statement, all six member of the household looked up with matching expressions of horror. Having Genkai there every day would be like training all over again!

Genkai snorted disdainfully. "Like I haven't better things to do with my time than to baby-sit a bunch of shit for brain fighters."

Time wore on and the evening hours were in full swing with Genkai, Yusuke, and Kurama still present, watching their friends clean up the colossal mess.

The chiming clock struck seven, breaking Rinku from whatever musings he had been immersed in. He looked around the room and noted that it had made progress, but it was obvious that it would never be the same. He didn't regret it. He had been successful at purging the day of boredom for him and his friends. The rain was pretty much finished, and he planned on going outside the next day. Of course, he would do that only after he had found his red shoe. He still liked the red pair better than his blue ones, and anyway, his blue ones were spotted with most of the contents from their refrigerator. Perhaps he would put his blue ones on display. After all, they were a part of history now; voiceless echoes of a troubled time when war had gripped the world by the proverbial throat. But mainly if he pegged them as artifacts, Shishi might not insist that he wear them anymore.

His ears perked up as Chuu started humming some strange song a little off key and Shishi and Suzuki muttered quietly to one another. Jin and Touya were nowhere to be found, but he heard strange noises coming from the kitchen. He looked up, confused, and took note of the expressions on his friend's faces.

Chuu rolled his eyes and continued humming while Shishi sighed in exasperation and Suzuki chuckled lightly. Yusuke and Kurama left it well enough alone, but Genkai wasn't quite as accepting. The elderly woman stood up and stretched casually as though she were merely loosening up her stiff body. However, her meaningful stride suggested otherwise.

She walked over to the swinging kitchen door, pushed it open, and stepped inside. The door swung closed behind her. Within seconds two different voices yelped their surprise at her presence and electric blue light gleamed from under the door. Two yells followed the light show and Genkai reappeared to take her seat with Kurama and Yusuke.

The fox and the spirit detective tried to muffle their laughter along with Chuu, Suzuki, and Shishi. Rinku merely blinked.

It was the ensuing conversation between Touya and Jin that caused their snickers to erupt into full-blown laughter.

"'Ey Touya," they heard Jin say.

"What?" Asked Touya irritably.

"You smell like fried coconut."

"Jin?"

"Yeah, Touya?"

"Shut-up."

Rinku sighed and thought about the injustice of being subjected to such behavior at his young and impressionable age, but he couldn't help but smile. Despite his housemates' over active hormones and strange little quirks, he could always rest assured that boredom, however often it visited, would never be a permanent residence among HIS family.

And with a word from Genkai, Rinku uttered another countless sigh and bent to scrubbing once more, but the chore could not chase the lingering smile from his face.

ooo

-Owari


End file.
